Joint Force Harrier

Lord Hardy of Wath: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What future plans the Ministry of Defence has for joint force Harrier.

Lord Grocott: We have agreed an investment plan to take forward joint force Harrier (JFH) into the era of future joint combat aircraft (FJCA) and future carriers.
	The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) included a commitment to establish JFH, building on the success of Royal Navy and RAF Harrier aircraft operations in joint carrier air groups. This was a radical initiative to form a truly joint, flexible and deployable force optimised for the demands of the new strategic environment. JFH currently operates two aircraft types––Sea Harrier FA2, an air defence aircraft flown by RN personnel, and Harrier GR7, a ground attack/reconnaissance aircraft flown by RAF personnel. The plan has been for both the Sea Harrier FA2 and Harrier GR7 to be replaced by a common aircraft type. This aircraft is currently designated the FJCA, with an in service date of 2012.
	Work has been taking place on a migration plan to take forward JFH into the era of the FJCA and the future aircraft carrier. We have concluded that joint force Harrier should migrate to an all Harrier GR force, maximising investment in one aircraft type. It is planned to upgrade the GR7 to GR9 standard to ensure a credible expeditionary offensive capability until the aircraft leaves service. To achieve this, aircraft systems will be enhanced to extend their lives and give the Harrier the capability to operate with smart weapons.
	Given the Harrier GR9's ability in future to employ smart weapons world-wide by day and night from land and sea and the increased emphasis on carrier based offensive air-power in the SDR and confirmed by the emerging conclusions of our post-11 September work, the Sea Harrier FA2 will be withdrawn earlier than planned, by 2006. The Sea Harrier entered service in 1979 and will start to become obsolescent as this decade progresses.
	As a consequence of its earlier withdrawal from service, the planned relocation of Sea Harrier FA2 aircraft from RNAS Yeovilton to RAF Cottesmore and RAF Wittering in 2003 will not now proceed. The relocation of RN personnel will go ahead but slightly later than currently planned, over the period 2004 to 2006. By 1 April 2007, JFH will have migrated to an all Harrier GR9 force by roughly equal numbers of RN and RAF personnel. These proposals will be subject to consultation with the trade unions in the normal way.
	This plan will significantly enhance the offensive strike capability of our aircraft carriers pending the introduction to service of the FJCA.

Nimrod MR4

Lord Hardy of Wath: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Ministry of Defence has changed its procurement plans for the Nimrod MR4.

Lord Grocott: The Nimrod MRA4 will replace the Nimrod MR2 as the RAF's new maritime patrol aircraft.
	Recent work on future maritime reconnaissance capabilities has shown that the operational tasks of the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft can be carried out with a smaller fleet than originally envisaged. This will allow us to reduce the number of aircraft on order from 21 to 18. This revised approach will allow the RAF to meet all the tasks for which the aircraft is being procured while delivering better value for money.
	This judgment reflects a number of factors. The submarine threat, while still prevalent world-wide, has not developed as expected when the production contract was signed in 1996. Moreover, the Nimrod MRA4 will also offer a markedly greater capability compared to the MR2 it succeeds through improved aircraft and sensor performance. Finally, discussions with BAE Systems, the prime contractor, have identified potential in-service support options to maximise aircraft availability for operational tasking.
	The Defence Procurement Agency is working with BAE Systems on an incremental approach to delivery for Nimrod MRA4. This includes the acceptance of aircraft in two steps. An initial capability will be provided by the time of first contracted aircraft delivery in August 2004, with the full specification being met by the time of the seventh aircraft delivery and entry into service, which is contracted for March 2005. The reduced order will affect only the last three aircraft of the previously planned production run.
	In accordance with the partnership principle of Smart acquisition, agreement has been reached with BAE Systems to maximise the financial benefits to the Ministry of Defence of this reduced order while incentivising the company appropriately. The reduction in procurement costs will be agreed in detail with the company. On the basis of current assumptions, the smaller fleet is expected to reduce support costs alone by some £360 million.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to publish the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service's corporate plan for 2002–06.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) has published its corporate plan today. Copies of the corporate plan have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Further copies of the corporate plan may be obtained from CAFCASS.

Magistrates' Court Penalties: Enforcement

Baroness Howells of St Davids: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to improve the enforcement of fines and community penalties imposed by magistrates' courts.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: I have today announced challenging targets for magistrates' courts committees for 2002–03 for enforcement of financial and non-financial penalties:
	Enforcement of financial penalties
	An increase of 5 per cent on the 2000–01 national average payment rate, i.e. rising from 63 per cent to 68 per cent.
	Enforcement of community penalty breach warrants
	75 per cent of adult bail and no-bail warrants executed or withdrawn within 28 days of issue, and
	75 per cent of youth bail and no-bail warrants executed or withdrawn within 14 days of issue.
	Magistrates' courts committees will be given nearly £10 million extra from April 2002, ring-fenced for enforcement, to enable them to improve performance. We will expect the amount of fine money recovered to increase as a result of the extra funding and will monitor the position carefully to ensure that performance improves.
	We are already taking forward a programme of work to improve enforcement arising from my department's post implementation review of the transfer of warrant execution project. The post implementation review report will be published on the department's website on 5 March. We shall be holding a series of conferences for enforcement practitioners in April. These will be followed by the establishment of a criminal enforcement policy advisory group which will be tasked with exploring and evaluating good practice initiatives, revising and updating guidance and taking forward other issues arising from the conferences to improve enforcement.
	Copies of the post implementation review report will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 5 March.

Hunting

Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will report the progress on their policy on hunting with dogs.

Lord Whitty: The Government intend to provide an opportunity for each House to debate a Motion which will allow Members to vote for and against each of the three options which were presented to the House during the last Parliament. This will fulfil the first part of our promise by giving the House an early opportunity to express its view. We will then consider, in the light of the votes and the views expressed during the debates in both Houses, how to deliver the second part of that commitment, to "enable Parliament to reach a conclusion on this issue". The Government will make a Statement on the way forward before Easter in response to the debate and vote in both Houses.

Images of England: Photographs

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether English Heritage should have asked permission from the owners of Grade II listed buildings before photographs of their properties were taken; and
	Whether they will instruct English Heritage to contact every owner of a Grade II listed building to obtain explicit permission to put photographs of those buildings on a website; and
	Whether they approve of the intention of English Heritage to place photographs of Grade II listed buildings on the website called images of Britain.

Baroness Blackstone: English Heritage undertook a comprehensive and successful series of regional press campaigns to publicise the Images of England project. It made it clear that it was its intention to photograph every building on the statutory list for the project. There are 500,000 listed buildings in England and information on them is already in the public domain. The Government are committed to improving access to all public information and have no plans to instruct English Heritage to write to owners.

Export of Works of Art Report

Lord Peston: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish the 2000–01 annual report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art.

Baroness Blackstone: The reviewing committee's annual report for 2000–01 has been published today and copies have been laid before Parliament.

Northern Ireland: Children of Different Faiths

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How they are endeavouring to bring Northern Irish children of different faiths into mutual respect for one another.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: Her Majesty's Government support, through funding, victims' and survivors' groups whose work includes bringing together children of different faiths. The Government are also a principal funder of the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund, which among other things organises cross-community events for children. Otherwise, responsibility for this subject is largely devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Northern Ireland: Bill of Rights

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has carried out in recent months a survey into public awareness of a possible Bill of Rights and, if so, whether they will publish the result.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: I understand that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission undertook a public awareness survey entitled the Northern Ireland Social Omnibus Survey of October 2001. Research and evaluation services were commissioned to draw up and carry out the survey, which focused in particular on the Bill of Rights consultation but also on the role of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. This survey was the second such exercise undertaken by the commission. The first was carried out in July 1999.
	A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission: Staffing

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 4 February (WA 75), whether they had any part in devising the terms and conditions of the appointment of Mr Peter Hosking to undertake a review of the commission.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given on Thursday 10 January 2002 (Official Report, col. WA 124). The Government had no involvement in devising the terms and conditions for the appointment of Mr Peter Hosking.

Senior Salaries Review Body Report

Baroness Thornton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the 2002 report and recommendations of the Review Body on Senior Salaries will be published.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The 2002 report of the Review Body on Senior Salaries, which makes recommendations about the pay of the senior Civil Service, senior military personnel and the judiciary, together with the annual uprating of parliamentary salaries, is being published today. Copies are in the Printed Paper Office and the Library of the House.
	The main recommendations of the review body are:
	Senior Civil Service (SCS): an increase from 1 April 2002 of 2.5 per cent to the Government's final indicative rates for the minima, target rates and maxima for each pay band and a new band for Permanent Secretaries; a minimum bonus payment of 3 per cent or £2,000, whichever is the higher, for those making the greatest contribution; and a sum equivalent to 0.4 per cent of the total SCS pay bill to be made available for use by departments to address anomalies.
	Senior military: an increase from 1 April 2002 of 2.5 per cent in the value of all points on the new incremental pay scales.
	Judiciary: an increase from 1 April 2002 of 8 per cent.
	The Government have decided to accept these recommendations in full for the senior Civil Service and senior military. The award for the judiciary will be staged, with 3.6 per cent payable from 1 April 2002 and the remaining 4.4 per cent payable from 1 April 2003.
	The cost of all the awards will be met within existing departmental expenditure limits.
	Pay increases for Members of Parliament and Ministers are linked automatically to the increase in pay bands for the senior Civil Service. Their pay entitlement will therefore increase from 1 April 2002 by 2.5 per cent. In addition they will receive the second and final instalment of £2,000 recommended by the Review Body on Senior Salaries in its 48th report of March 2001.

Proposals for Change: Public Consultation

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the normal period of public consultation about government proposals for changes in the law or in administrative practices and procedures.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: The Government do not keep central statistics on the average length of consultation periods across government. The recommended period for central government national public consultations, including about proposals for changes in the law or in administrative practices and procedures, is 12 weeks. The period recommended for consultations is set out in the Code of Practice on Written Consultation published in November 2000. There will be circumstances that unavoidably require a consultation period of more or less than 12 weeks. Among these are timetables set out in statute; those dictated by EU or other international processes; and those tied to the Budget or other annual financial cycles.

Ministers: Travel Arrangements

Lord Willoughby de Broke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether Ministers are required or encouraged to use public transport when travelling on government business.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: Paragraph 84 of the Ministerial Code makes it clear that Ministers must always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Detailed guidance to Ministers on travel is set out in Travel by Ministers, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.